MinIO AIStor offers three subscription tiers designed to meet organizations at every stage of their AI and data infrastructure journey: AIStor Free, AIStor Enterprise Lite, and AIStor Enterprise.
Answer
The new AIStor subscription model provides a clear progression path from free single-node deployments to enterprise-grade distributed storage. Each tier is designed for specific use cases, with the key differentiators being deployment architecture (single-node vs. distributed), capacity limits, support SLAs, and enterprise certifications.
Tier Overview
| Feature | AIStor Free | Enterprise Lite | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Single node, unlimited | Up to 400 TiB | Unlimited |
| Architecture | Single-node only | Distributed | Distributed |
| Replication/HA | Not available | Available | Available |
| Support | Community only | Self-support or optional add-on | 24/7 Premium Support |
| SLA | None | <5 business days (with add-on) | <4 hours |
| Certifications | None | None | FIPS, SOC2, ISO 27001 |
AIStor Free
What
AIStor Free provides unlimited capacity on a single node, giving developers and small teams full access to MinIO’s core object storage capabilities at no cost.
Key Features
- Unlimited capacity on a single server
- Full S3 API compatibility for application development
- Object Lambda for serverless data transformation
- Catalog integration for metadata management
- Firewall for enhanced security
- Community support via Slack and GitHub
Limitations
- Single-node only — no distributed deployments
- No replication or high availability
- No enterprise support — community resources only
- No enterprise certifications
Ideal For
- Individual developers and hobbyists
- Development and testing environments
- Learning and experimentation
- Proof-of-concept projects
- Small-scale personal storage
Getting Started
Download directly from min.io with no registration required.
AIStor Enterprise Lite
What
AIStor Enterprise Lite enables distributed deployments up to 400 TiB, providing enterprise features like replication and high availability at an accessible price point.
Key Features
- Up to 400 TiB usable capacity
- Distributed architecture with erasure coding
- Site replication for disaster recovery
- High availability across multiple nodes
- Object Lambda and Catalog integration
- Firewall and Key Management (KMS)
- Self-support with optional support add-on
Support Options
| Option | Availability | Response SLA |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Support | All deployments | Community resources |
| Support Add-On | 100+ TiB required | <5 business days |
Note: The support add-on is only available for deployments of 100 TiB or more. Smaller deployments operate on a self-support model with access to community resources.
Ideal For
- Small to medium businesses
- Departmental deployments
- Edge and remote site storage
- Organizations starting their AI data journey
- Budget-conscious enterprise workloads
Onboarding Process
For deployments under 100 TiB:
- Credit card purchase available
- Self-service onboarding
- BDR-led process (no dedicated Account Executive)
For deployments 100+ TiB:
- Option to add support
- Account team engagement available
AIStor Enterprise
What
AIStor Enterprise delivers unlimited distributed storage with 24/7 premium support and enterprise certifications required for regulated industries and mission-critical workloads.
Key Features
- Unlimited capacity across distributed infrastructure
- Full distributed architecture with any erasure coding scheme
- Site replication and active-active configurations
- 24/7 Premium Support with <4 hour response SLA
- Enterprise certifications: FIPS 140-2, SOC2, ISO 27001
- Dedicated support engineer option
- Professional services for implementation
Support Specifications
| Metric | Enterprise SLA |
|---|---|
| Availability | 24/7/365 |
| Initial Response | <4 hours |
| Severity 1 Resolution | Continuous until resolved |
| Dedicated Engineer | Available |
| Professional Services | Full catalog |
Enterprise Certifications
- FIPS 140-2 — Federal cryptographic compliance
- SOC2 Type II — Security controls attestation
- ISO 27001 — Information security management
Ideal For
- Large enterprise deployments
- Regulated industries (finance, healthcare, government)
- Mission-critical AI/ML infrastructure
- Organizations requiring compliance certifications
- Global multi-site deployments
Feature Comparison
Storage & Architecture
| Capability | Free | Enterprise Lite | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-node deployment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Distributed deployment | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Erasure coding | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Site replication | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Active-active replication | — | — | ✓ |
Security & Compliance
| Capability | Free | Enterprise Lite | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encryption at rest | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encryption in transit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| IAM policies | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| KMS integration | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| FIPS 140-2 | — | — | ✓ |
| SOC2 / ISO 27001 | — | — | ✓ |
AI & Data Features
| Capability | Free | Enterprise Lite | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 API | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Object Lambda | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Catalog | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Firewall | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bucket notifications | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Choosing the Right Tier
Start with AIStor Free When
- You’re evaluating MinIO for the first time
- Building development or test environments
- Single-server deployment meets your needs
- Budget constraints require zero-cost options
Choose Enterprise Lite When
- You need distributed storage with HA
- Capacity requirements are under 400 TiB
- Self-support model is acceptable
- Cost efficiency is a priority
Choose Enterprise When
- Capacity exceeds 400 TiB
- 24/7 support with fast SLAs is required
- Compliance certifications are mandatory
- Mission-critical workloads demand enterprise backing
Upgrading Between Tiers
Free → Enterprise Lite
- Add distributed nodes to existing deployment
- Enable replication and HA features
- No data migration required for expansion
Enterprise Lite → Enterprise
- Seamless upgrade path
- Unlock unlimited capacity
- Gain enterprise support and certifications
- Contact MinIO sales for transition
Pricing
For current pricing information:
- Visit min.io/pricing
- Contact MinIO sales for custom quotes
- Enterprise pricing available for large deployments
References
For subscription questions, contact your MinIO account team or sales@min.io.